Analyze how Senghor portrays the past, present, and future in his poem. In what ways does the present connect to the traditional African past? What significance will tradition hold for Africa's future?

Senghor's poem heavily relies on a patriarchal myth that invokes his father's name and the masculine totemic symbol of the lion, while excluding women from this revered "ground" safeguarded by the lion-mask. However, he also incorporates feminine imagery, such as the "dying princess" of traditional Africa and the umbilical cord linking Africa to the colonial "mother" of Europe. How does "Prayer to the Masks" intertwine gender with his vision of Africa's past, present, and future? How might the poem differ if it had been authored by an African woman?

Senghor was a key figure in the "Negritude" movement, a literary and cultural initiative that celebrated black identity and the traditions of Africa and the African diaspora in the Americas. Other notable figures in this movement included the Martinican poet Aimé Césaire and the Guyanese poet Léon Gontran Damas. How might Senghor's conception of Africa and African roots differ from that of the "New World" Negritude poets, who had never visited Africa when they began their literary careers?

Senghor was educated in French institutions and wrote in French. Despite this, he utilized French, the language of the colonizer, to critique colonialism and affirm the worth of African traditions, history, and beliefs. What challenges might Senghor have faced in using French for his literary works? What advantages did writing in French provide him? Would it have been more effective for him to write his poetry in Serer, his native language? What unique perspectives does Senghor bring to French literature and language from an African viewpoint? How does his use of the French language reflect his vision for future relations between Africa and Europe?

Senghor places African art and spirituality, particularly the mask, at the heart of his work. Identify another poem inspired by a piece of art and compare its function within that poem to the role of the masks in Senghor's poem.

The African-American intellectual and author W. E. B. Du Bois argued that being both a highly educated American and a man facing racial prejudice in the United States forced him to experience a "double consciousness," which he saw as a common reality for black individuals in America. He had to perceive himself both as an equal citizen under the law and as a socially marginalized black man. This duality meant living as someone aware of his superior education and achievements while being viewed by many of his fellow citizens as inferior due to his race.

In what ways does Senghor's poem, which navigates his pride in his "negritude," his dreams for African independence, and his French education, reflect a similar "double consciousness"? How do the unique contexts of Africa and French colonialism differ from the American racism and the legacy of slavery that Du Bois addressed?